Motion picture projector



Oct. 11, 1932. A. GASTONGUAY ETAL MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed Aug. 10. 1929 2 SHIF T MAGNIF/ED MAGNIFIED A C D l MAGN/FIED .J

A. GASTONGUA) INI/E/VTORS- GPUL LER AA 41- Ari-0% Patented Oct. 11, 1932 the screen. By

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTONIO GASTONGUAY,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS OF NEW YORK, AND GEORGE FULLER, OF PORT WASHINGTON, TO ZBELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES, INCORPORATED, 015

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Application filed August 10, 1929. Serial No. 384,923.

This invention relates to motion picture projectors and particularly to projectors for both silent motion pictures and sound pictures of the film type.

The object of this invention is a method and means for readily adapting a projector to show either silent motion pictures or sound pictures.

A feature of this invention is an aperture plate and optical system to project a sound picture having the same dimensions on the screen as a silent picture.

Another feature of this invention is a conviently adjustable mechanism to shift the projector and thus change the angle of projection by a predetermined amount.

. In a sound, picture film, the sound record is commonly placed on one side of the film close to the perforations, and the width of the picture is correspondingly reduced. The height of the picture on the sound film is regulated by the distance the film is moved by each operation of the intermittent action, and for practical reasons, the height of the picture in both silent and sound films is the same. In many motion picture theatres, the reflecting area of the screen is surrounded by a dark border which outlines an area equal to the projected area of a silent picture. a result, when sound pictures are projected with the sound record masked off, the projected area of the sound picture will not cover means of a special optical system, the -width of the projected sound magnified to cover the screen but the height will be enlarged in the same ratio and will then be too large for the screen.

A special aperture plate is provided which not only masks 011' the sound track, but re duces the height so that when the sound picture is projected through the special optical system it will have the same dimensions as the screen.

The sound picture, however, will be laterallydisplaced on the screen due to the sound record having been masked ofl one side. The direction of projection must thusbe rotated horizontally to centre the sound picture on the screen. The projector head could be rotated through a small angle with respect to Asf the base but this would be the take-up reel is and the rotation of the projector head would introduce a twist in the film. Another method is tolaterally displace one end of the projector about a pivot at the other end. The pivot may be placed at either end of the projector, but as the projection ports in many theatres are comparatively small, the rear end is preferably displaced about a pivot at the front end so that the projector beam is not displaced port.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a sub-base, comprising two flat plates, superimposed and pivoted, is placed under the front of the projector base. sub-base, Y comprising flat superimposed plates, is placed under the rear of the projector. By means of suitable angle levers, the upper plate may he slid longitudinally on the lower plate, displacing the rear ofthe projector laterally and rotating the direction of objectionable as projection through a small horizontal angle.

Referring to Fig. 1 shows silent pictures;

Fig. 2 shows an aperture plate and film or sound pictures;

Fig. 3 shows the sub-bases in position under the projector base;

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of and screen;

Fig. 5 shows an elevation of the projector and screen; Fig. 6 shows a genera-l view of the projector and bases and the screenand Fig. 7 shows the operating levers in detail. Referring to the drawing, Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a plan view of the optical system of a motion picture projector mounted on a base 53. Light from a suitable the drawing, an aperture plate and film for the projector focussed by the condensing lens 47 on an aperture 2 in an usually secured to the base a enough to strike the side of the is pierced by an aperture 2 of such dimenthe side 13 will mask 01f a portion of the sions as to define the outline of the projected sound picture. The aperture 8 is preferably silent picture fancifully illustrated by the so located in the plate 7 that equal portions squares 50, centrally located between the are masked off the top and bottom of the perforations 49, 49 in the film 48. The m o picture as diagrammatically illustrated 1n tion pictures are commonly contained within Fig. 5, in which the reference characters an area of the order of 0.91inch laterally of refer to the same conditions as th similar the film and of the order of.0.68 inch lengthcharacters in Fig. 4, though in some cases it Wise of the fihn. The projected silent picmay be preferable that the portions be unture will then cover the screen 3 between the equal, or even that all be masked oil the lines 4 and 5, equally spaced from the center bottom. line 6 as indicated by the bracket A. A general view of the projector and screen A similar opaque plate 7 of any suitable is shown in Fig. 6. The light source 45 and material is pierced by an aperture 8 having reflector 46 are contained within the lamp- 1 the side 9 shorter than the corresponding house mounted on the bracket 56. The side of the aperture 2 so as to mask ofi the light from the lamp-house 55 is focussed by sound record 51, which is commonly located the condensing lens 47 on the projector head inside one row of perforations 49 on a film 57 containing the opaque plate 1, the objecbase 48 of the same width as the silent pictive lens 12 and the mechanism for progresture-film. The motion pictures are fancising the film from the reel 58, through the fully illustrated by the squares 52, 52. ()wpicture projection head 57 and the film sound ing to the presence of the soundrecord 51, reproducing head 60 to the reel 59. The V the motion pictures will now be contained lamp-house v55, picture projection head 57, within an area having a dimension of the and film sound reproducing head 60 are 2 order of 0.80 inch laterally of the film. The mounted on the projector base 53, supported motion picture may, however, have the same by the l g 21, 25 r ti g n th b-b 14, dimension lengthwise of the film as the silent 24. The projected picture is displayed on I picture. Theresulting picture will then b the screen '3. A disc sound reproducing more nearly a square than the silent picture; equipment 61 may also be mounted on the 30 A sound picture using the aperture plate 7 base 53. It will be understood that the term and rojected under the same conditionsas silent motion picture refers to-the size of the silent picture will only cover the portion the photographic image, and may be a fullof the screen 3 defined by the lines 4 and size image which is displayed synchronously 10, equally spaced from a center line 11 as with the reproduction of sound by the disc i 35 indicated by the bracket B. In order to censound reproducing equipment 61.

ter the sound picture on the screen 3 the line A convenient method of rotating the line of projection must be rotated horizontally of projection .to bring the center line 11 into 55 special lens, the height of the projected sound plate 24 is placed under t till the center line 11 coincides with the cencoincidence with the center line 6 is to latter line 6. A preferred method of r'otatlng erally displace one end of theprojector about 9 the line of projection is disclosed In Figs. 3 a pivot at the other end. A sub-base 14, Fig. and 7 described below. 3 comprising two superimposed flat plates When the sound picture is centered on the 15 and 16, pivoted at 17 are. placed under screen, due to the aperture 8 being smaller laterally opposedfeet of the projector base than the aperture 2 the projected picture W11]. 53, preferably under the front feet. Plate 45 not cover the" screen as indicated by th 16 may be secured to the floor by means of bracket C. The projection lens 12 is replaced screws 18 inserted through the large holes 19 by a special lens having the Same aperture as in plate 15 and bearing on plate 16, The lens 12 but having a focal length of the Order feet. 21 of the projector base 53 may be seof one-half inch less than the focal length of cured by bolts 20 to the plate 15. Due to the 59 lens 12 which magnifies-the sound picture s pivotal connection 17, plate 15 may be rothat the projected sound picture covers the tated through a small angle with respect to screen between the lines 4 and 5 as indicated plate 16, by the bracket D. v A sub-base comprising two flat plates 22 Due to the magnification produced by the and 23, Figs. 3 and 7, suplerimposed on a e other pair-of picture willbe increased in the same proporfeet 25 of the projector base 53. Plate 24 tion as the width and will be too large for may be secured by screws 26 to the floor. the screen. To avoid this increase in height 1 The feet 25 of the projector may-be secured the side 13 of the aperture 8 is-made smaller by bolts 27 to plates 22 and 23. A casting 60 than the corresponding side of the aperture 28 extends across thewidth of plate 24 and L 2 by the same ratio as the side 9 was made is secured by screws 43 to plates 22 and 23. smaller than the corresponding side of the A shaft 29 is supported in bearings jouraperture 2 and may conveniently have a'dinalled in suitable bosses formed in casting mension of the order of 0.61 inch lengthwise 28 and supports two levers 30 and 31. Lever of the film. The reduction of the length of 30 terminates in a projection 32 which bears 1 0 plate 24 laterally displacing the cause casting 28 to slide against the abutment 33 aflixed to the plate 24 and located between the plates 22 and 23. epressing lever 30 will cause the projection 32 to be pressed against the abutment 33 and the reaction will cause the casting 28 to slide the plates 22 and 23 longitudinally along feet 25 of the projector. The amount of the movement is regulated by the set screw 34 which limits the movement of lever 30. Lever 31 terminates in a projection 35 which engages the arm 36 of an angle lever mounted on a shaft 37 journalled in suitable bosses on the cast ing 28. The other arm 38 of the angle lever bears against an abutment 39 aflixed to the plate 24. Depressing lever 31 will cause the projection 35 to force the lever arm 36 upward causin the lever arm 38 to be pressed against the a utment 39 and the reaction will the plates 22 and 23 longitudinally along plate 24 in the opposite direction to the movement resulting from the depression of lever 30 and thus returning the rear feet 25 of the projector to their original position, and restoring lever 30 to its initial position. The amount of the movement is regulated by the set screw 40 which limits the movement of lever 31.

To prevent the plates 22 and 23 frombeing moved along the plate 24' by the vibratlon of t e projector, a screw (not shown) secured to the plate 24 passes through the plate 41 and is engaged by the hand wheel 42. R0- tating the hand wheel 42 will clamp plate 41 to plates 22 and 23 and prevent relative movement of plates 22, 23 and 24.

, hat is claimed is:

1. The method of adapting a motion picture projector to show sound pictures which comprises masking the sound picture to have the same relative proportions as a silent motion 'picture,- projecting the masked sound picture enlarged to the same area as the projected silent tion of projection to center the sound picture on the screen.

2. The method of adapting a motion picture projector to show sound pictures which comprises masking off the sound record, masking off a portion of the height of the sound picture to the same relative proportions as a silent picture, projecting the masked sound picture enlarged to the same dimensions as the projected silent picture and displacing the direction of projection to center the'sound picture on the screen.

3. The method of adapting a motion picture projector to show sound pictures which comprlses masking the sound picture to the same ratio of dimensions as the silent pic ture, projecting the masked sound picture enlarged tothe same dimensions as the projected silent picture and displacing one end of the projector to center the projected picture on the screen. u

front end to picture and rotating the d1rec- 4. The method of adapting a motion pic ture projector to show sound pictures which comprises masking the sound picture to same ratio of dimensions as the silent picture projecting the masked sound picture enlarged to the same dimensions as the projected silent picture and displacing the rear end of the projector to center the projected picture on the screen.

5. The method of adapting a motion picture projector to show sound pictures which comprises masking the sound picture to the same ratio of dimensions as the silent picture, projecting the masked sound picture en larged to th jected silent end of the e same dimensions as the propicture and displacing the rear projector about a pivot at the center the projected picture on the screen.

6. Means for adapting a motion picture projector to show a sound picture film comprojector, 21

a pivoted sub- 

